Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

While I don't participate in the October Horror Challenge, I just took a look and was super impressed! Wow, talk about a check list! Chad does a wonderful job with the whole challenge...

I'm bringing it up here because I saw this link here for animated horror movies and thought I should share it here for anyone who wants to mix a little horror with their animation this month.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Yep, Tangled is great. The lantern scene is a breathtakingly magical moment.

Happy early birthday!

Yep, the horror challenge is legendary. Unfortunately my comedy challenge immediately follows it, but I am a mere mortal challenge host and don't try to compete with or compare myself to Chad in any way. :lol:

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I hope you've watched it in Japanese.

Even celeb voices don't impress me on English dubs of Ghibli films.

The only time a Ghibli dub impressed me was the French dub of PORCO ROSSO, in which Jean Reno voiced the title character. Given its Euro setting and the style of singing in the film, seeing it in French actually worked better than seeing it in Japanese.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

When I see an animated film promoted using the "celebrity" voices employed I frequently just avoid it. I don't watch to hear someone I know voicing a character in their own voice. I better appreciate those folks who make a living doing different voices for animated characters. Recognizing a "celebrity" voice takes me out of an animated story faster than anything else.

That's one reason I avoided Disney's A Christmas Carol, with Jim Carey, among others, for so long. The other was it was another of Zemeckis' motion capture productions and I'd found The Polar Express, while having an interesting story, to be somewhat creepy due to the animation process.

I watched A Christmas Carol over the weekend. I'd purchased copy for a pittance (under $5) and felt that was worth it for, what I'd figured would be, a single viewing. I actually mostly enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised that Carey's performance wasn't typical of him and that he did a fairly good Scrooge. The intensity of the film also surprised me a bit. Coming from Disney, it's most certainly not as "kid friendly" as I expected. I'd be willing to watch it again, especially during the Holiday Challenge.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

It took me a long time to watch Polar Express and Disney's A Christmas Carol for those reasons. Though, once I did fit in a viewing, I really enjoyed both of them. I found that I became used to the animation style of Polar Express pretty quickly. And that all the Tom Hanks wasn't as confusing or weird as it could have been. I really dislike Jim Carrey as an actor. I don't think I've enjoyed more than one or two of his films so it took me years to watch A Christmas Carol. While it'll never become a favorite of mine, it is def. watchable. I don't mind celebrity voices in animation myself. But I do expect them to put some effort into it!

I have to admit that I have not. I'll have to try it one day when I have the time to focus on subtitles. I do appreciate watching things in their original form, but unfortunately, sometimes I just don't have the energy to focus as much as I need to.

Tangled has a lot of great moments. I also like The Princess and the Frog as well for the music and the humor in it. They both seem to be in that era of Disney that was well done but forgettable. Not sure why!

I don't think any of the hosts can compete with Chad! He does a great and very in-depth job with all the threads and check lists and theme nights...and organizing it alone is a huge job!

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I've been (silently) participating in this challenge and finally got 'round to posting a list.

Whomever it was who posted about the Filmation Flash Gordon series in the sci-fi thread (Ash Ketchum, I think?), thank you for mentioning that it's on Amazon Prime! I had picked up a copy of the Mill Creek release in a thrift shop for a couple bucks and put it on yesterday while I was doing stuff around the house -- and found that it only contains the first 14 episodes of the 16-episode, quite serialized first season. Why, Mill Creek, why would you do that? -confused- So now at least I can finish it up on Amazon.

On the subject of English dubs of Ghibli films: I've found that a lot of them sound very flat to me, enough so that I've wondered if either they were directed to do so, or if it's just a product of not being accustomed to dubbing. (Which I imagine is definitely a different experience from a normal voice-over role, in that for dubs they're matching their voices and the script against finished animation rather than having the increased freedom of cadence/expression and the ability to ad-lib a bit that comes with doing the original voice work before animation is complete.)

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

CASTLE IN THE SKY is even better in Japanese, although I have to admit my first viewing of the film was the English dub done in Japan in the 1980s by a crew I'm unfamiliar with. My daughter and I loved that version when we saw it on the big screen in 1990. We eventually got that version on tape from a dealer at a comics convention, along with a tape of the Japanese-language version without subs. And eventually a fan-subbed tape. I can't remember exactly when the Disney dub was made, the one with Paquin and VanDerBeek, but it was definitely early in the 21st century.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I went to Wal-Mart today, and picked up some DVDs that would be good for this Challenge. The first one is a set of Puppet Master 1-9, for $4.74. And in the $3 bin, I found a set of Looney Tunes cartoons, that said on the case, over 100 hours.

When I got home, I was in the mood for a documentary, so turned on the History Channel on Roku, and watched an episode of Jurassic Fight Club. It was an interesting episode about a dinosaur that preyed upon Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

:banana:

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Welcome! Glad you posted your list. :) It does have to be difficult to try to match the cadence of someone else plus someone else that's speaking in a foreign language that you (likely) don't understand. I know a lot can be lost, but I do appreciate any dub just for having one because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to watch and understand at all. I have a smidgen of Spanish but it's not conversational by any means. So without dubs of any kind, I'd be totally out of luck! :) Maybe that's why I don't usually critique dub voices. I will comment when the dub is totally different than the subtitles though!

I know I picked it up in the early 2000s through Disney, maybe 2003/2004? If that helps...

Glad you're getting some variety in! I know you like to jump around. I tend to do a mixture, jump around and focus on one series...

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Dawson's Creek ran 1997-2003, so that timing sounds about right. :)

Actually, while I was on Wikipedia I looked at Van der Beek's page, and it said the Castle dub was 1998. :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_in_the_Sky

Sorry, I ran it last year and assumed I would again this year, but don't want to step on any toes if you were the originator and wanted to take it back. I confess I don't remember the history of that challenge. :lol:

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

No, the guy who started it disappeared at the end of the month, never to be heard from again. -eek-

I just ran it a few times, so it wouldn't end.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Thanks for doing that! I'm fine with continuing it as you've run tons of challenges in your time.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I just checked my files. The Disney-produced dub of CASTLE IN THE SKY had its theatrical premiere in New York at the New York International Children's Film Festival on Feb. 4, 2000, which is when I saw it. The DVD release wasn't until 2003.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Thanks to you, LJG, I've become a fan of Simon's Cat, and I just watched my first episode of the Challenge. It was a collection of shorts about Simon going on vacation. His cat is adorable. Especially when his cat was packing his cat toys for Simon.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

^ I'm also a fan of Simon's Cat! The shorts make me thankful that my cats are relatively well behaved.

I finished The Legend of Korra and just found out there will be a comic book series extending the story, which is very exciting. While I initially had problems with the existence and concept of the show (being a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender), it's become a favorite - one that I'm sure I'll visit again and again, like its predecessor.

Now I've moved on to One Piece which is delightfully fun!

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

You're Welcome! I still watch it myself and he always makes me laugh. The one where the cat "wakes" Simon up is very similar to how my cat wakes me up for his breakfast. It may even be the first one that was made, actually.

I try not to let my cat watch it as I'm afraid he'll get ideas...

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I have been trying to watch at least one eligible item each day, but right now my nieces are visiting so I have looked to some shorts to fill the gap. I just watched A Colour Box and would recommend it. It's only 3 minutes long and qualifies for the Annecy Festival's 100 Films for a Century of Animation check. It's actually an ad, but you only see that at the very end. Think it's quite amazing it was all done by hand. I can't imagine how he kept everything all lined up!

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I have too, but didn't think of shorts yesterday. It was my mom's birthday yesterday, so I ended up taking a day off to spend time with her.

I've started watching Voltron again, and just finished the episode about the spy. I've always enjoyed Voltron, and look forward to the episode where Lotor joins the show, as he was always my favorite character.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I somewhat started out with that in mind but it's quickly fallen by the wayside... I had hope when my 6 year old granddaughter came in on the 3rd and asked to watch The Flintstones. Typically she gets on a kick and will only want the "current" show for a few weeks so I thought I'd finally finish this one (we have S5 & S6 left). Nope... she came in the next day and asked to watch Sabrina (The Teenage Witch)... again. I enjoy the program but we've watched it completely through over the past few months and I'm ready for something else. Oh well... I just need to get something out I like, but I've been trying to finish Quantum Leap and have a half-dozen episodes left on it that I want to get in first.

We're going to Blanchard Springs caverns tomorrow to go on the "Discovery Trail" tour, have a picnic lunch in the park (the 6 year old asked about bears stealing our picnic basket - specifically Yogi :) ), and into Mountain View to get some homemade taffy so there'll be little time for watching anything (it's a 5 1/2 hour round trip drive plus the 1 1/2 hour tour, a picnic, and another hour or so in town - it's a full day of fun!). We did this last summer but went on the half hour tour to make sure the 5 year old (now 6) was OK with being underground. She loved it and wanted to go back in right then!

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Sounds like fun :)

I won't have much time to watch anything tomorrow myself. Tomorrow is my birthday, and since yesterday was my mom's, we're having a combined birthday party tomorrow. While my family sets things up, weather provided, I plan to fish at the ponds. One pond is stocked with largemouth bass, and the other one has smallmouth bass in it. There are also channel catfish, bullhead, perch and bluegills in both ponds.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Hey, real life is always more important than an optional challenge! :) And having lost my father, I know parents aren't always around, so spend a lot of time with your mom when you can if you want to!

This sounds like fun! I took my nieces with grandma to the Wisconsin Dells. For those not familiar with it, it's a big tourist place with water parks (though we did not go, just no time), the Wisconsin Ducks, Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, Circus World Museum along with Al Ringaling's mansion, mini golf, and a bunch of other things crammed into a 3 day trip. Lots of fun, but I'm exhausted!

Maybe your granddaughter might want to watch Yogi Bear? Got to figure out a way to save your picnic baskets! ;)

Happy early brithday, shadokitty! Hope you have a great day!

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Thanks :)

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

I'll have more time than I expected to work on one of my favorite Challenges today. I don't leave for the party until noon, and I get plenty of time after that to watch animation.

Re: The 8th Annual Animation Challenge Discussion Thread!
 

Sounds like a plan!

Meeting my sister halfway to their house to drop off my nieces in a bit, after I get home though, I plan on watching a couple movies. As fun as they are, I'm looking forward to the quiet! :) Hope to catch up on my watching tomorrow too.

How is everyone doing? Getting some good watches in?